why are people so quick to tell you to stop loosing weight?

Options
2»

Replies

  • KitKate89
    Options
    I can understand how frustrating it is to hear something like that, but it could be (from some of them) that they're genuinely concerned. Watching someone lose a lot of weight, especially in a short period of time, is very strange. Imagine if any of your friends lost 1/3 of their body weight. No matter how much they weighed (or didn't weigh) to begin with, I'm sure you might think this is a drastic difference, and to you, they may look skinny! But everyone has their own goals, and it should always be about how you feel!
    Others may be jealous and just trying to put you down, but in that case, just smile and brush it off! You know you've come a long way, and you still have a little further to go. It's none of their business what your numbers are, or what you want them to be. Firmly tell them that it's nice that they've noticed the change, and impress that you've made a goal and you're still working towards it!
    If they keep bugging you tell them to butt out!
  • IrishHarpy1
    IrishHarpy1 Posts: 399 Member
    Options
    I've been hearing this a *lot* lately -- I don't think there has been a workday that has gone by without hearing it at least two or three times, and I have yet to find a polite way of telling people to mind their own business (It's SO very tempting to toss out "Yeah? Well, you don't have to see me naked!"). I've noticed that the ones who mention it the most often are the ones who are always "on a diet" or "watching what they eat" as they consume handfuls of junk. :/

    Add to that the family members who are afraid you're making yourself "sick" and think you need to stop... or on the flip side, a MIL who tells you not to get rid of all your old clothes because you'll need them when you gain the weight back.

    All you have to remember is that you have no one to answer to but yourself. You're doing it the right and healthy way, so just smile and move on... and let them be jealous of your progress :)
  • dutchess48
    Options
    I lost a lot of weight my junior year of high school and after a lifetime of being over weight I was excited. That was until I started getting compliments like "Now you look so pretty", or "now your pretty and smart". i hated all the new attention because I had suddenly lost weight. Was i somehow less important when i was big? Less beautiful? Sadly i gained all the weight back plus some. It took years and a really great supportive friend to help me get to the point where I could lose and not feel ashamed. Every time I doubt myself she sets me straight. I learned that it was the lack of confidence that kept me big. The negative people around me didn't want me to be a better them because then I might change who I am to them. You just have to eliminate the unhealthy or negative people who don't support you. For me this meant family as well, mother included. i won't eliminate them forever but at least until I learn how to form a new kind of relationship with them.

    The point is people will always have something to say. There telling you to stop losing weight is their way of telling you to stop changing who you are to them. Just like the comments I got where backhanded insults to keep me in my place. Don't let them hinder your success. Your losing the weight for you not them.
  • manorexicmarshmallow
    Options
    I agree with a lot of what others have said. I also can think of one other reason.

    I think people who lose weight often times seem to lose it from their face first. That can cause their face to look sickly and drawn out (at least temporarily) giving the impression that they have lost more weight than they really have.

    I'm with you though, keep losing weight until your a healthy BMI. That's my plan too.
  • Expatgirl
    Expatgirl Posts: 33 Member
    Options
    According to this chart I believe you can tell them you should be at 177.

    I looked up the military age/weight/height standards. They include fitness standards for men and women according to age.
    My first goal is to be at the minimum standard for the Army. I'm not in the military nor planning to join I just found it to be a GREAT motivator for me. I want to be able to say I'm Army fit.
    http://www.military.com/Recruiting/Content/0,13898,rec_step07_hw_army,,00.html

    Smiles to you.... Keep up the positive flow
  • gracemleone
    Options
    I get this a lot, I'm 5 1 and 130 lbs, I know I'm at a healthy weight, but that doesn't mean I'm at my ideal weight. I'm not only trying to lose 10-15 lbs, but also trying to eat as natural as possible, whole foods, raw foods, minimal fried foods, no chemicals, mostly organic etc.. I do this for general health, not just weight loss. When people see me making healthy choices they tell me to stop dieting. I just tell them I'm not on a diet, that's the way I normally eat. I'm also a pesca-vegetarian, and when people find out, the first thing they usually say is "you need to eat meat". No I don't! Obviously I have done my research and decided this is the best for me and my body. Nobody needs to tell me what I need to be doing, I don't tell anyone to stop eating meat unless they are interested, so why is it so hard to respect my decision? I totally understand your frustration.

    In your case they are probably jealous that you are able to take action and do something good for yourself while they probably haven't been able to do so.
    Or maybe they are noticing what a hottie you are and that's why they're turning into such haters. :smokin:

    And maybe some of them are really concerned.. you can just thank them for their concern, tell them you are working with a doctor/ trainer etc..

    And to the rest of the haters, you don't owe them any kind of explanation. Just tell them you are being healthy and making the right choices for yourself, that's all you need to tell them.

    By the way congratulations on your weight loss and good luck keeping it up! :)
  • kjannan
    kjannan Posts: 248 Member
    Options
    I've started losing weight in the last 4 weeks & have had people tell me I don't need to.
    That's funny because my BMI tells me I'm overweight & I'm not happy with my body so I've decided to take the bull by the horns & do something about it.

    I put it all down to jealousy, maybe because they don't have the motivation to do the same.
  • Birder150
    Birder150 Posts: 677 Member
    Options
    "You don't need to lose any more weight." means "My insecurity cannot handle your Hotness. Please do not continue to get even more hot." :bigsmile:
  • Fredrigo
    Fredrigo Posts: 134 Member
    Options
    What the average person perceive as a healthy weight has been shown to have more to do with geography than actual health knowledge. Basically people will start to think you look too skinny when you look like you weigh less than what they think an average person weighs.

    This means in communities where more people are obese people think a healthy weight is heavier (like Louisiana) and in communities where the average person is smaller (like California) they assume even some healthy weights are "fat."

    While it's reasonable to aim for a previous weight always keep in mind that our bodies continue to change as we get older including our muscle mass, bone density, and where are bodies deposit fat.

    As you get closer to your target weight start talking to your Dr about things like body fat ratios and health risks associated with abdominal circumference.

    Congratulations on your success and good luck on your continued efforts.
  • londanfudd4eva
    Options
    some people just dont know when to shut up! i know exactly what you mean because i am 5'2" and i weigh 155 -160 and wear size 10 -12 but my goal iz 135-140 or whatever makes me size 8. but i have people telling me "u are not big or why are u trying to lose or u cant lose your butt & hips" I think u should get to the size that is comfortable and aceptable to you . and no you shouldnt have to tell your current size or usual size just nicely let them know "hey i am getting to the size that I am comfortable and happy with " and if niceness doesnt work tell them whatever makes them shut up!
  • jellerose
    jellerose Posts: 74 Member
    Options
    I think I'd see it as a weird sort of compliment ; ). It means you're succeeding in making a difference in yourself. Just smile with confidence and say you're happy with your results and progress. I'd love to be at the point where people were telling me I was losing too much! hee. So far everyone around me has been really supportive but I know that might change as I progress on my journey.

    I've noticed over the years that quite a few people who lose quite a bit of weight and then keep it off go through a period where they look like they've lost too much and then they eventually stabilize at a better place. Dolly Parton looked like she was wasting away the first several months after she unveiled her weightloss years ago and then it all seemed to settle in and look great.
  • Fredrigo
    Fredrigo Posts: 134 Member
    Options
    Another factor may be loose skin it can take up to 2 years for your skin to adjust to the new body underneath it so if you lose weight quickly people see the loose skin as unhealthy assuming you're losing muscles or otherwise affecting your health negatively.
  • AliciaStaton
    AliciaStaton Posts: 328 Member
    Options
    Yea they are not helping. You have made a decison to change your life and noone else but you can do that. You have done well so far and it sounds like you have made a lot of changes. Just smile and do what you need to do to improve your quality of life
  • SaddyPants
    SaddyPants Posts: 152 Member
    Options
    "You don't need to lose any more weight." means "My insecurity cannot handle your Hotness. Please do not continue to get even more hot." :bigsmile:

    This!!
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    Options
    I can understand how frustrating it is to hear something like that, but it could be (from some of them) that they're genuinely concerned. Watching someone lose a lot of weight, especially in a short period of time, is very strange. Imagine if any of your friends lost 1/3 of their body weight. No matter how much they weighed (or didn't weigh) to begin with, I'm sure you might think this is a drastic difference, and to you, they may look skinny! But everyone has their own goals, and it should always be about how you feel!
    Others may be jealous and just trying to put you down, but in that case, just smile and brush it off! You know you've come a long way, and you still have a little further to go. It's none of their business what your numbers are, or what you want them to be. Firmly tell them that it's nice that they've noticed the change, and impress that you've made a goal and you're still working towards it!
    If they keep bugging you tell them to butt out!

    This is very true. I know I struggled at first with my husband's weight loss. First of all, his eating habits changed drastically. Our grocery bill dropped because he was eating less. I felt like a pig, because I'm 5'2" and he's 6'4" and I had eaten more than he did at a few meals. I was gaining as he was losing. Plus, he was skipping meals, so I really did have some cause for concern. I think I did ask him a few times how far he was going to take it.

    Now that he's plateaued, I can see that he is still healthy and if he still wants to lose a few more pounds, he would still be healthy. However, when I saw him drop weight so fast, it was scary for me. Yes, I was jealous. I was also a bit worried, because he almost looked like a different person.

    I also know from my own personal experience that when I was skinny, everyone and their mother had something to say about it. I actually didn't like compliments, because people were commenting on things I did not control. I ate everything in site, and I have never been active. I didn't gain weight until the last few years. When I was a teen, nothing I did could make me gain weight. I was on the lower side of healthy, but I was still pretty healthy.

    Now that I'm 30lbs overweight... almost obese, no one says anything to me. Even if they did compliment me, it would be about something I have control over, such as my shoes, or the way my hair is styled. I love getting compliments about the way I present myself, but I hate getting any comment, good or bad about things that just come naturally. As I age, I am lightening up a bit about it, but when I was young, so many people were busy concentrating on my body and no one was listening to what I had to say.

    Now that I'm heavy, I know darn well who is paying attention to me for my personality and intellect and who isn't. I don't mind that.

    Ok, so I've rambled... The point is that when you make a drastic change, people notice and don't know how to act. It is also hard for people to not notice a skinny person. When you have both scenarios at once, it's annoying, but it just happens.
  • SummerReen
    Options
    Loved your reply!! Made me smile and I will take your advise!! Thank you!:smile:
  • SummerReen
    Options
    :laugh: Thanks!!
  • SummerReen
    Options
    BWAAAAAHAHHH !!! Love This:laugh:
  • katherines2230
    katherines2230 Posts: 276 Member
    Options
    I don't give specific numbers anymore. I just tell people I'm aiming for a healthy body fat % and bmi.
  • katherines2230
    katherines2230 Posts: 276 Member
    Options
    "You don't need to lose any more weight." means "My insecurity cannot handle your Hotness. Please do not continue to get even more hot." :bigsmile:

    Love this!